The West Kent & Medway Early Intervention in Psychosis Service

What is psychosis
‘Psychosis’ is the term used to cover a number of experiences, including
hearing “voices”, having unusual or frightening ideas, and a loss of energy or
drive. Psychosis can produce a change in thinking (e.g. jumbled thoughts),
feelings (e.g. feeling low or lacking emotion) and behaviour (e.g. isolating
yourself). It is most common for these problems to begin in people aged
between 14 and 65 years. It is not uncommon and approximately four out of
every 100 people will experience a psychotic episode at some time in their
lives. There is much that can be done to help, and most people make a full
recovery.
What causes psychosis
Some people have a greater risk of developing psychosis. There may be a
biological/genetic connection, i.e. having a family member who has
experienced psychosis can increase risk. However, many people who develop
psychosis have no history of psychosis in their immediate family. There are also
social and environmental factors that may increase risk, such as extreme
exposure to stress, illicit drug use (e.g. cannabis), abuse (i.e. physical, emotional
or sexual) and trauma. In other words there are a number of factors that may
make someone more vulnerable to develop psychotic problems. This is
referred to as the ‘stress-vulnerability model’.
Psychosis remains a complex condition that is not fully understood (for example,
we still do not know why some people develop psychosis and others don’t). It is
an illness that continues to be the focus of extensive research. The cause and
outcome of psychosis varies from person to person. The way we cope with
unusual experiences and how they affect us will influence the outcome.
3